The plan in one paragraph
If your OPIc or TOEIC Speaking test is about 30 days away, spend 15 to 40 minutes a day on one recorded task a day for 4 weeks, and book the test before you start so that day 29 or 30 is test day. Week 1 learns the test, books it and records a baseline. Week 2 gives every answer a shape. Week 3 drills the questions that separate one level from the next. Week 4 is two full mocks, one weakness and a light finish. The plan has two tracks inside the same days because the tests reward different things: OPIc (12 to 15 questions in 40 minutes, no time limit per answer, per opic.or.kr) rewards long, connected answers about your own life, while TOEIC Speaking (11 tasks in about 20 minutes on fixed timers, per IIBC) rewards answers that start fast and fit the clock. Nobody can promise a level in a month, and we do not. In our judgement, what a month can change is the shape of your answers, so that is where every day goes.
This is the English version of the plan, written for readers in Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan and for anyone else who prefers English. The same weeks exist in Korean for OPIc (오픽 IM2에서 IH까지 30일 로드맵), and Japanese candidates have a 2-week TOEIC Speaking plan (TOEIC Speaking 対策 2026).
- Length: 28 planned days, then test day on day 29 or 30
- Time: 15 to 30 minutes a day, 40 on the two full-mock days
- Rule: one task a day, always recorded, always played back
- Tracks: OPIc (no timer per answer, aim for 90 seconds to 2 minutes) or TOEIC Speaking (fixed timers from 15 to 60 seconds)
- Material: the TalkDrill-written OPIc bank and TOEIC Speaking bank, never leaked test items
OPIc or TOEIC Speaking: pick the track first
If the employer or university names a test, take that one and stop reading this section. If it accepts either, the table below shows what each track of the plan trains, from the official pages. The OPIc facts come from the Korean OPIc site, opic.or.kr, which says about 1,700 companies and institutions in Korea use the test. If you sit OPIc in another country, check the local organiser's rules on fees, results and retakes.
| OPIc | TOEIC Speaking | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | ACTFL; run in Korea by Multicampus | ETS; run by YBM in Korea, IIBC in Japan, Chun Shin in Taiwan, IIG in Vietnam and CPA in Thailand |
| Length | 12 to 15 questions; 40 minutes plus a 20-minute orientation (opic.or.kr). ACTFL says between 20 and 40 minutes | 11 tasks in about 20 minutes (IIBC, YBM) |
| Time per answer | No limit per answer; each question can be heard twice | Fixed: 45 seconds to read aloud, 30 for a picture, 15 or 30 for Questions 5 to 10, 60 for Question 11 |
| Who you talk to | A recorded avatar, Ava. Your background survey and self-assessment decide the topics and which of five test forms you get (ACTFL) | Recorded prompts on a computer at a test centre (IIBC) |
| Result | Novice Low to Advanced Low, with IM split into IM1, IM2 and IM3 (IM3 highest) | 0 to 200. YBM's newer table names the bands: IM 110 to 130, IH 140 to 150, AL 160 to 170 |
| What the track stresses | Length and connection: stories in the past tense, comparisons, role-plays with options | Speed and fit: the first sentence ready in the 3 seconds before the beep, answers that fill the timer, a 60-second opinion |
The full comparison, including retake rules and fees side by side, is on OPIc vs TOEIC Speaking. If you need to know what a level or score actually sounds like before you choose a target, read OPIc levels explained or TOEIC Speaking levels and scores. YBM's levels page also shows an older table with different band edges, so when someone quotes a TOEIC level, ask which table they mean.
Book the date first: next sittings by country
The plan counts back from a booked date, so day 2 is booking day. The rows below are from each registrar's official page, read on 21 October 2026. Where a registrar does not publish a fee or a calendar, we say so instead of guessing.
| Where | Test | Next dates and booking | Fee | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | TOEIC Speaking and Writing | 22 November 2026 (regular registration to 9 November, late to 19 November); 13 December 2026 (regular registration 12 October to 30 November, late to 10 December); then 10 January 2027 and monthly through 2027, in seven cities (2027 registration not yet open) | NT$3,300 (Speaking and Writing) | Online from 7 December and 29 December respectively |
| Japan | TOEIC Speaking Test | 29 November 2026 (apply by 13 November, 15:00); 20 December 2026 (applications open 23 October, 10:00) | 6,930 yen incl. tax | Scores 17 days after the test |
| South Korea | OPIc | Sittings almost every day on opic.or.kr | KRW 84,000 incl. VAT | 5 days after the test, from 13:00 |
| South Korea | TOEIC Speaking | Every Saturday and Sunday through December 2026 (YBM) | Not shown before the booking step; check when you book | Within 5 days |
| Vietnam | TOEIC Speaking and Writing (IIG) | Register online from the IIG page; no calendar on the page | Not on the page; ask IIG | Not on the page; certificate valid 2 years from the test date |
| Thailand | TOEIC Speaking and Writing (CPA) | Public sitting once a month on CPA's schedule; Speaking Only can be chosen | Not on the page; ask CPA | Not on the page |
Sources: toeic.com.tw test dates, IIBC TOEIC Speaking Test, OPIc candidate guide, IIG Vietnam TOEIC SW and CPA Thailand TOEIC SW programme. The full table, with registration links and the rules on changes and cancellations, is on our fees, dates and results page.
Counting back (examples written by TalkDrill)
Taipei, 13 December sitting. Day 30 is 13 December, so day 1 is 14 November. Regular registration closes on 30 November, which is day 17, but book on day 2 anyway, so the date is fixed before the work starts. Scores open online on 29 December and the score report is posted on 30 December. If you need a second try, the next sitting is 10 January 2027; its registration had not opened when we read the page on 21 October, so check the dates page for the window.
Japan, 29 November sitting. Day 30 is 29 November, so day 1 is 31 October. The application deadline, 13 November at 15:00, is day 14, so book in week 1. Scores appear 17 days after the test, on 16 December.
Vietnam or Thailand. Neither registrar page we read lists dates, so get the date from IIG or CPA first, then count back 29 days to find day 1.
How each 30 minutes is spent
Every day has the same shape, so you never decide what to do, only whether to do it. Record everything on your phone or on TalkDrill; the recording is the point, not the practice itself.
| Minutes | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Read a short text aloud | Warms up the mouth. For TOEIC it is also Questions 1 and 2, which IIBC rates on pronunciation, intonation and stress |
| 5 to 20 | The day's task from the tables below, recorded, twice if time allows | One task done properly beats five done quickly |
| 20 to 30 | Play it back, mark one thing, record that answer again | Change shows up only when you hear the before and after |
When you play back, ask the same four questions every day. Did my first sentence answer the question? How long did it last (OPIc: 90 seconds or more; TOEIC: did it fill the timer without running over)? Did the past stay past? Did I give one specific detail, a name, a number or a place? Write the answers in one line. By day 28 you have a month of lines, and they tell you more than any score estimate.
The four weeks, day by day
Each day has a task, minutes and a link to the material. Where a day says OPIc and TOEIC, do only your track. Bank items are TalkDrill-written in the format of the real tests, never real or leaked questions.
Week 1 (days 1 to 7): Know the test, book it, record a baseline
Goal: End the week with a booked date, a chosen track, your survey topics or the task timings on one card, and a baseline recording to compare against.
| Day | Minutes | Task (OPIc and TOEIC Speaking tracks) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Pick your track and your target. If the employer names a test, take that one; if it accepts either, read the comparison first. Write the level or score you need on a card. | OPIc vs TOEIC Speaking |
| 2 | 20 | Book the date so that test day is day 29 or 30, and note the booking deadline. Examples: IIBC closes applications for its 29 November sitting on 13 November at 15:00; regular registration for the 13 December sitting in Taiwan closes on 30 November. | fees and dates by country |
| 3 | 25 | Learn the format. OPIc: the seven steps from background survey to second session, then pick survey topics that share places and people. TOEIC: copy the 11-task timing table onto your card. | survey and self-assessment strategy |
| 4 | 20 | Read-aloud baseline: two short texts, recorded once, no retakes. Mark every word you stumbled on. For TOEIC this is Questions 1 and 2; for OPIc it becomes your daily warm-up. | read-aloud practice |
| 5 | 25 | Baseline mock, recorded, no restarts. OPIc: five questions about your home, your work or studies and a recent trip. TOEIC: all 11 tasks on the real timers. | AI mock interview |
| 6 | 20 | Listen back to day 5. Mark OPIc answers under one minute, TOEIC answers that started late or stopped early, and every past-tense slip. Then read the section for your first language and circle the two habits you heard most. | mistakes by first language |
| 7 | 15 | Check your target against the level descriptions, then finish your card: target, test date, the two habits to fix, and your survey topics or the timing table. Look at it every day. | OPIc levels explained |
Why this week. Booking comes first because the deadlines fall inside the month: IIBC closes applications for its 29 November sitting on 13 November at 15:00, and regular registration for the 13 December sitting in Taiwan closes on 30 November (late registration runs to 10 December). The baseline matters as much. Without a day 5 recording you cannot tell on day 25 whether anything changed, and the change you hear is the only feedback that keeps a month of practice going.
Week 2 (days 8 to 14): Answers with a shape
Goal: OPIc answers run 90 seconds to 2 minutes in four parts; TOEIC answers start at the beep and fill their timers.
| Day | Minutes | Task (OPIc and TOEIC Speaking tracks) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 25 | OPIc: describe your home in 90 seconds: where it is, the layout, your favourite space and why. TOEIC: Read-aloud 1 and 2 from the bank with the 45-second marking method, each recorded twice. | OPIc bank: home |
| 9 | 25 | OPIc: a routine, your usual weekend, in time order for 90 seconds. TOEIC: Scenes 1 and 2 with the picture frame, 30 seconds each, after 45 seconds of preparation. | TOEIC bank: scenes |
| 10 | 30 | OPIc: one past experience, a trip that did not go to plan, 2 minutes with every verb in the past. TOEIC: Sets 1 and 2 for Questions 5 to 7, every answer started the moment the beep sounds. | OPIc bank: travel |
| 11 | 25 | Record day 10 again. Count only one thing: past-tense slips for OPIc, late starts for TOEIC. The target is zero. | AI mock interview |
| 12 | 30 | OPIc: use one place and one friend to answer two survey topics, such as parks and jogging, or cafés and music. TOEIC: Read-aloud 3 and 4, then Scenes 3 and 4. | OPIc bank: parks and cafés |
| 13 | 30 | Mini mock. OPIc: five bank questions back to back with no pause. TOEIC: Questions 1 to 7 with items you have not used yet. | TOEIC practice bank |
| 14 | 15 | Play day 5 and day 13 back to back. Write one line on what changed and one on what did not. If an answer still has no shape, reread the frames for that task. | task frames |
Why this week. For OPIc, the level descriptions on opic.or.kr separate IM, which strings sentences together on familiar topics, from IH, which describes events and solves problems at length even in unfamiliar situations (our translation of the Korean). So every OPIc answer this week gets four parts: a direct answer, two or three sentences of detail, one example or story, and a closing line. For TOEIC, IIBC's format table gives 0 seconds of preparation for Questions 5 to 7, with 3 seconds between each question and the beep, so this week trains the first sentence: take the question's own subject and verb and start.
Week 3 (days 15 to 21): The questions that separate levels
Goal: Handle the answers that move a level: comparisons, role-plays and unexpected topics in OPIc; schedules and the 60-second opinion in TOEIC.
| Day | Minutes | Task (OPIc and TOEIC Speaking tracks) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 30 | OPIc: a comparison, how something in your life changed in five years, using used to and these days, 2 minutes. TOEIC: Information set 1, 45 seconds to read, then Questions 8 to 10. | TOEIC bank: information sets |
| 16 | 30 | Role-play with the AI as the other side. OPIc: call a shop or a hotel and ask three questions. TOEIC: answer a caller from a schedule, using Information set 2. | role-play practice |
| 17 | 30 | OPIc: a problem role-play; explain the problem, then offer two or three options. TOEIC: Opinions 1 and 2 with the four-part frame, 60 seconds each after 45 seconds of notes. | faulty product role-play |
| 18 | 30 | OPIc: two topics you did not pick in the survey, such as recycling and technology, 90 seconds each. TOEIC: Opinions 3 and 4, each answered twice with a different example the second time. | OPIc bank: technology |
| 19 | 25 | Sound day. Take the two habits from day 6, drill the matching read-aloud set (final consonants, th, v and w, or -ed endings), then read your day 4 text again and compare. | final consonant drill |
| 20 | 30 | OPIc: a new problem role-play where the AI keeps asking follow-ups; keep it going for 4 minutes. TOEIC: write six true examples from your work or study and use each one in a 60-second opinion. | role-play practice |
| 21 | 20 | Record the weakest answer of the week again and compare it with the first take, using the level descriptions as the yardstick. | TOEIC Speaking levels |
Why this week. These are the answers that move a level. On the OPIc side, the IH description talks about unexpected situations and solving problems, which is what role-plays and off-survey topics test. On the TOEIC side, IIBC's scoring page rates Questions 1 to 10 on a 0 to 3 scale but Question 11 on 0 to 5, and its score guide separates the 110 to 120 band from 130 to 150 by how well you give opinions and handle complicated requests. Week 3 therefore spends four of its seven days on role-plays and opinions.
Week 4 (days 22 to 28): Mocks, one fix, and the test
Goal: Two full mocks under test conditions, one weakness worked on hard, and a calm last two days.
| Day | Minutes | Task (OPIc and TOEIC Speaking tracks) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 40 | Full mock 1. OPIc: Mock A or Mock B from the bank on a 40-minute timer, making the difficulty choice after the first session of about 7 questions, as you will on the day. TOEIC: all 11 tasks with fresh items. | OPIc timed mock |
| 23 | 30 | Review mock 1 on three things only: length, tense, and whether each answer actually answered the question. Check for fillers and memorised lines too. | fillers, scripts, short answers |
| 24 | 30 | Your weakest question type only, recorded three times, with one change each time. | task frames |
| 25 | 40 | Full mock 2 with questions you have not seen. OPIc: the other mock from the bank. TOEIC: all 11 tasks built from bank items you have not used yet. | AI mock interview |
| 26 | 25 | Read-aloud warm-up and two short answers. Check the ID rules and the test centre address with your registrar. | read-aloud practice |
| 27 | 20 | Light day. Listen to your three best answers of the month and fix your final choices: survey topics and difficulty for OPIc, the frames you will use for TOEIC. | OPIc practice bank |
| 28 | 15 | The day before the test: five minutes of read-aloud, one story or one opinion, then stop. Note when results are due: OPIc 5 days after the test from 13:00, YBM within 5 days, IIBC 17 days after. | results timing |
Why this week. A full OPIc mock takes 40 minutes and includes the difficulty choice after the first session of about 7 questions, so you rehearse that decision instead of meeting it for the first time on the day. A full TOEIC run takes about 20 minutes, which leaves time to review in the same sitting. Days 26 to 28 get lighter on purpose: the last two days are for sleep and a warm voice, not new material.
Day 29 is test day (or day 30, if that is how your sitting fell; then repeat day 28's task on day 29). On the morning of the test, five minutes of reading aloud is enough. Arrive early with the ID your registrar requires; opic.or.kr, for example, asks OPIc candidates to be in the room 10 minutes before the start and turns away late arrivals without a refund. Write the results date in your calendar before you leave the centre.
Day 10 in full, both tracks
Below is day 10 done properly on each track. The questions and answers are written by TalkDrill to show the shape; they are not real test items, not a real candidate's answers and not a guarantee of a level or score. Take the structure, not the sentences.
OPIc track: a past experience
Question (written by TalkDrill, OPIc style): You indicated in the survey that you travel within your country. Tell me about a trip that did not go the way you planned. What happened, and how did it end?
An answer in the IM shape (written by TalkDrill to show the pattern, about 25 seconds):
Last year I go to Da Lat with my friends. It was fun. But the weather is bad. It rain a lot. So we stay in the hotel. We eat and talk. It was okay. I want to go again.
An answer aimed at IH (written by TalkDrill, about 1 minute 30 seconds):
The trip I still laugh about was to Da Lat, up in the highlands, last December. Four of us from work had booked a cheap homestay online, and the plan was simple: two days of coffee, flower gardens and a sunrise hike. When we arrived at about nine at night, the owner told us the booking had never gone through, and every room was full. It was cold, we were tired, and none of us had a signal. At first we argued about whose fault it was, which did not help at all. Then the owner's daughter called her aunt, who ran a small guesthouse a few streets away, and she drove us there on two motorbikes, one trip at a time. The room was tiny, but it had thick blankets and hot tea. We missed the sunrise the next morning because we overslept, but we found a market breakfast instead, and it turned out to be the best part of the trip. Since then, I always ask for a confirmation email, and I never book the cheapest place without reading the reviews.
| Part | What it does | In the answer |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | When, where, who | Da Lat, last December, four of us from work |
| Plan | What should have happened | had booked a cheap homestay; coffee, gardens, a sunrise hike |
| Problem | What went wrong, with one detail | the booking had never gone through; cold, tired, no signal |
| Action | What you did, in order | At first we argued; Then the owner's daughter called her aunt |
| End and change | How it ended and what you do differently now | the best part of the trip; Since then, I always ask for a confirmation email |
Three things to copy. First, the past stays past: more than 20 past-tense verbs and not one slip, against six present-tense slips in the IM-shaped answer (go, is, rain, stay, eat, talk). Second, one past perfect (had booked) marks the plan as earlier than the problem; once is enough. Third, the time connectors change every time: When we arrived, At first, Then, the next morning, Since then. Repeating "and then" is the fastest way to sound like a list of sentences instead of a story.
TOEIC Speaking track: Question 7, 30 seconds
Set-up (written by TalkDrill): Imagine that a travel company is doing research in your country. You have agreed to take part in a telephone interview about weekend trips.
Question 7 (written by TalkDrill): When you choose a place for a weekend trip, what is the most important thing for you, and why?
For me, the most important thing is travel time. If a place is more than three hours away, I spend half the weekend on a bus. For example, last month my friends wanted to go to the coast, which is five hours from my city, so we chose a lake two hours away instead. We had a full day there and still got home early on Sunday.
The first sentence reuses the question's own words (the most important thing), which is how you start within the 3 seconds IIBC allows between the question and the beep. Then one reason, one example with a time and a place, and a close. It is about 65 words, which fits 30 seconds at a calm pace. For Questions 5 and 6, with 15 seconds, keep only the first two sentences. More frames for every task are on TOEIC Speaking templates, and the official timing table is on IIBC's format page.
Sound day: what to drill for your first language
Day 19 is sound day. Use the two habits you circled on day 6. The table is TalkDrill's reading of how each language's sound system meets English; it is not a list published by ACTFL or ETS. The full tables, with a one-minute drill per habit, are on mistakes by first language.
| First language | Two habits to check first | Drill on TalkDrill |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin (Taiwan) | Final n and ng merged (thin and thing); verbs left in the present for past stories | -ed endings, v and w |
| Vietnamese | Final consonants and clusters dropped (desk as des); -s and -ed endings missing | final consonant clusters, -s endings |
| Thai | Final l and s changed (school as schoon, bus as but); stress on the last syllable (cof-FEE) | -s endings, word stress |
| Korean | r and l, f and p; a vowel added after final consonants (desk as desk-eu) | p, f, b and v; the Korean plan |
| Japanese | Vowels added after consonants (street as su-to-ree-to); l and r; th | voiced th; the Japanese page |
Habits shared by every group matter as much: a filler from your first language at the start of each answer, a memorised opening line used for every question, and repeating the question and then stopping. Day 23's review checks for them.
If you have 2 weeks, or 8 weeks
The 2-week version
Keep 14 days and drop the rest: days 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25 and 28, in that order. You lose the review days and the second take of each answer, so play back every recording the same evening. Two weeks will not change your English much; it can remove the losses that come from not knowing the format. Japanese readers have a TOEIC-only 2-week plan written in Japanese on the TOEIC Speaking 対策 page.
The 8-week version
Stretch the middle, not the ends. Weeks 1 and 2 become weeks 1 to 3, with an extra week of describe and routine answers (OPIc) or read-aloud and pictures (TOEIC). Week 3 becomes weeks 4 to 6, one target per week: comparisons, role-plays and unexpected topics for OPIc; information sets, Question 11 and Question 11 again for TOEIC. Week 4 becomes weeks 7 and 8, with a full mock every third day and the last two days light. The daily shape stays the same.
If the result is short of the target
Read the result first, then plan the next attempt around the rule that limits you.
- OPIc. Article 5 of the OPIc test management rules allows a retest only 25 days after your latest sitting in the same language, with the test day not counted: test on 1 June, retest from 27 June. A Waiver lets you skip the wait once, and for OPIc it can be used once every 150 days. Results come 5 days after the test, so you will usually know before the 25 days are up. Spend them on weeks 3 and 4 again.
- TOEIC Speaking in Korea. YBM runs sittings every weekend through December 2026 and returns results within 5 days, so the limit is preparation, not dates. Repeat week 3 before you book again.
- Japan. After 29 November, IIBC's next published date is 20 December 2026. Dates beyond that will be on IIBC's annual schedule; we do not list dates that are not announced.
- Taiwan. Sittings are monthly: after 13 December 2026 comes 10 January 2027, then 21 February 2027, per toeic.com.tw.
- Vietnam and Thailand. CPA runs a public sitting once a month. IIG does not publish a calendar on its TOEIC SW page; ask for the next date.
Whatever the test, compare the official result with your week 4 recordings before you change anything. If the recordings show long, connected answers and the result is still short, the next month should go to week 3's harder questions, not back to basics.
Your TalkDrill route for the month
- Read-aloud practice, every day for 5 minutes. It marks your recording word by word, which makes it the warm-up and, for TOEIC, the practice for Questions 1 and 2. Open read-aloud practice
- AI mock interview for baselines and mocks. Days 5, 11 and 25: questions with follow-ups, no restarts. Open the AI mock interview
- Role-play for week 3. The AI plays the shop, the hotel or the caller, and keeps asking until you have offered options. Open role-play practice
- The two practice banks for the daily questions. 60 OPIc questions by survey topic and all 11 TOEIC Speaking tasks on the real timers, each with a TalkDrill-written model answer.
TalkDrill does not run OPIc or TOEIC, and its AI is not an ACTFL or ETS rater: any level or score it shows is a practice estimate. ACTFL's own description of the test, including Ava and the five forms, is on the ACTFL OPIc page. For everything else about both tests, start at the OPIc and TOEIC Speaking hub.